29/8/2020 Dream and Memory | Create Dream Palaces for Learning and Memory

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Dream and Memory

September 4, 2019 by Be Lucid Now

Dream and Memory: Are we

building memory palaces
when we dream?

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Dream and memory are closely related. We have learned that our brains are better
adapted to handle images than a sequence of words or numbers. That is to say, if we
want to improve memory, we should focus on images rather than rote memorization.
And, it appears as though our brains use our dreams in the same way – to consolidate
memories for easier retrieval later. 

Our ability as humans to create mental stories to help us remember, learn, and grow
can be a learned skill. During our dream life, we seem to be doing the same thing. Can
we use this understanding to boost our abilities while in a lucid dream?

Dream and Memory - What do we know?

There are a lot of theories, but the purpose of dreaming is still unclear. What exactly is
happening when we dream? And, do memories play a role in our dream life? 

Evidence suggests that dreams and memories do play a connected and vital role. And,
not only do we use memories to create dreams, but research shows dreams

consolidate information to make recalling information easier later. We are also

discovering that dreams might help us deal with emotional trauma in the long term. 

What is a dream?
Perhaps the rst question should be: what is a dream? Interestingly, there is no
universal answer. But, one quick explanation is that a dream is made up of those
ti th ht
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perceptions, thoughts, and emotions that happen while we sleep. Even though some
people claim they do not dream, the reality is that they may simply not remember their
dreams. 

As we go about our day, everything we see, feel, and think is recorded in our brain.
Then, at night our rational brain in the frontal lobe takes a back seat during REM.
Meanwhile, the visualizations associated with dreams occur in the prefrontal cortex.
MRIs show that the illusions we see when we dream are actually neurons ring in the
primary visual cortex. As a result, we experience visual imagery or hallucinations that we
later categorize as dreams. Often, we remember those visualizations as wild, unclear
adventures. Or, as nightmares: terrifying, anxiety lled horror stories. But, whether they were
charming or terrible, when share our dreams with others, we do so in story form. 

What's the point of dreaming?

The purpose of dreaming is not well understood. But, there are theories that point to its
value as a species. Evolutionary psychologists believe dreams might be a way for us to
practice stressful situations. In this theory, we rehearse a dangerous scenario safely in
our sleep. When we wake up,  we are better prepared to handle a similar situation when
the stakes are higher. From a survival standpoint, this would explain why our dreams

are lled with being chased or threatened by external forces. Also, it could indicate why
our dreams are often so negative. 

There are also studies that suggest dreaming might help us with our moods both in the
short and long term. For instance, pleasant smells while asleep, like the scent of baking
cookies, lead to happier and more contented dreams. On the other hand, long term
associations with mood have shown that individuals that dream more often about
negative experiences tend to show better adaptation than those don’t. In example
might be repeatedly dreaming about some trauma from your past. 

But, that might not be too surprising after all. Have you ever woken up after a dream
about a cheating partner? The feelings of betrayal are real even if there was no in delity
committed. As we calm down we have to remind ourselves: it was just a dream.
However, from a long-term perspective the evidence suggests that had in delity
actually occurred, then we are actively working to resolve those emotions when you
dream about it. And, with time, you will be better adapted than someone that has not
actively dreamed about the problem. 

 
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Memories in our Dreams

Many of us recognize that memories play a role in our dreams. Often, our dreams can
feel like strange and twisted replays from earlier in the day. But, the degree to which
memories are reported and how soon after the event are not always the same.

Typically, memories can be found within our dreams within the rst day after the event.
But, after the rst day they are likely to disappear for a few days and then reappear
again. 

For example, you get pulled over for speeding and chastised by a police o cer and
given a ticket. During the day, you are frustrated, angry, and probably a bit embarrassed.
That night you are likely to recall at least some of that experience. However, the
visualizations will be represented differently and might also incorporate other elements
from the day.

In the dream, for instance, it might not just be a police o cer pulling you over. Instead,
a police o cer gives you a ticket for being late on a work assignment. Also, he is
probably wearing that beautiful dress your friend just bought that you wish you had
purchased rst.

Memory consolidation in our dreams

Evidence suggests that as we dream, our brain recalls important information gathered
through the day. Then, it consolidates it for better recall and incorporation later. A study
called Memory, Sleep, and Dreaming illustrates how we remember the ‘gist’ of the
experience and throw out the unnecessary information. The researchers demonstrated
this by creating a list of words for participants to review. Then, a few days later had

them recall those same words. When brought back in, the participants were able to
remember the context of the words, but were not always able to recall the exact words. 

Memory consolidation may mean that it isn’t only about strengthening memories, but
to, “transform memory traces by integrating them into mnemonic networks and
preferentially maintaining the general meaning or ‘gist’ of the larger
experience,” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3079906.
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We consolidate memories so we can remember them in the future. However, we do not

retain the memory as a perfect recording. Instead, we consolidate the fragments, throw
out the useless, and retain the general sentiment of the experience. 

Creating Memory Palaces

I became fascinated with memories when I read a book a few years ago called,
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. The
author, Joshua Foer, dives deep into memory and how it connects with our every day
life.

Foer follows a few threads in this book, but the arc is his interest in becoming a ‘mental
athlete.’ A mental athlete is someone that can recall great amounts of information in a
short period of time. Foer studies with some of the best mental athletes in the world. 

What are Mental Athletes

A mental athlete is someone that takes part in memory competitions. One test might
be  remembering an entire deck of cards with only 60 seconds of preparation. Or, being
given a list of numbers and recalling them in the exact order. The individual that is able
to complete these tasks accurately and quickly is the champion.

Throughout history, the ability to recall information was regarded as an absolute

necessity. In today’s world with computers and the internet it isn’t as important for us
to remember every detail. Instead, we can quickly summon our answer with a google
search. However, there was a time when most people did not have access to books.
Either they could couldn’t read, or there was only one copy of the text 600 miles away.
Being able to remember was extremely important in their society. 

Mental athletes use many of the same techniques that our ancestors did to compete
and win memory challenges. You might even say that the ability to remember is a lost
art form. Foer seems to feel that way as he learns their methods with gusto. 

 
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q pp
dreaming.

Get Lucid Now

The Memory Palace Technique

One central technique used by Foer to eventually compete with these other memory
athletes was using something called a memory palace or The Method of Loci. In short,
the technique utilizes mnemonic methods to store images of items that we want to
recall later. 

How to Create a Memory Palace

1.  Pick a location you are familiar with such as your home or o ce.
2.  Create a list of some items you want to remember such as a shopping list. 
3.  Take each item on your list and begin to place them in your location. For
example, you need to buy onions at the store. You might imagine the door

handles to your o ce as onion bulbs. Then, as you walk into your o ce, the
desk is actually a cereal box with a carton of milk instead of a phone. 
4. Go through the list and place your items throughout the o ce. It helps if they are
funny and ridiculous and even exaggerated in size or other elements.
5. Then, practice by walking through your newly made memory palace.

Our brains like patterns and images

Memory palaces work because our brains like images and patterns. We are better at
recalling pictures than a list of numbers. Using mnemonics also creates cue for easy
retrieval and builds upon information that is already strong in your mind. In the example
used, your o ce is familiar and comfortable. Then, using the images created such
onions, milk, and cereal makes for easy retrieval when you are at the grocery store. 

Creating Dream and Memory Palaces while Lucid

Dreaming


Are You Dreaming?
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Humans have used various methods such as creating memory palaces to

consolidate and retrieve information later. This was necessary because information
was often passed verbally. 

We also know that our minds consolidate information from our daily experiences by
combining fragments and turning them into stories. We refer to these experiences
as dreams. Turning these fragments into generalized memories helps us build on
concepts or recall important information. 

It’s interesting to me that as a species we learned to adopt the mechanisms of our

mind (dreams) and use the same process to recall large volumes of information
during the day. I guess this is why we are at the top of the food chain!

Using Dream and Memory in Lucid Dreaming

We can use the same concept of memory consolidation in lucid dreaming. The value
in lucid dreaming, of course, is we can direct the ow of the events and create
different mechanisms within the dream to recall information.

For example, you might dream incubate a situation to help you learn. Let’s say you
are studying for a test. Create your memory palace before you sleep. Then, as you
lay down, recall the memory palace in detail. If you wake up in the middle of the
night, you might even incubate the memory palace and intend to lucid dream. By
becoming aware within your dream and being physically within your memory palace,
you can begin to manipulate and work directly with the required information.
Perhaps you will even discover new insights. 

Or, from an emotional standpoint, use lucid dreaming as a way to deal with painful
experiences. As shown earlier, confronting our pain in dreams helps us come to
terms with the issues sooner. 

The power of dream and memory is related both in our waking and dream states.
And, more importantly, we can use that knowledge to solidify knowledge faster and
build upon what we already understand. As lucid dreamers we have an additional
advantage.  We can use our dreams to direct attention at a problem we need to
solve. 
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Sources:

 https://www.scienti camerican.com/article/what-is-dreaming-and-what-
does-it-tell-us-about-memory-excerpt/
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3079906/
 Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

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